NY Times makes the case for Murph

Nice piece by baseball scribe Tyler Kepner on Murph’s last chance to be voted into Cooperstown before going to the veteran’s committee. The story points out a couple interesting factors not often considered in HOF debates, including this:

The ballot lists integrity, sportsmanship and character among the factors for voters to consider. Chad Murphy says that if voters apply the clause to keep some players out, they should also use it to let others in.

…and this:

But if offense had not exploded as it did in his retirement, Murphy might have had a better chance. As steroid users enhanced their records, they seemingly diminished those from the previous era.

If these guys are going to discount bloated PED numbers and punish the cheaters who put them up (something that I endorse) then they need to make the corollary move of reexamining non-cheaters and reassessing their numbers in the light of what we now know. That would help Fred McGriff as well as Murph.

If the Hall voters want to award points for integrity, Craig Biggio seems like a helluva guy. Sorry, Murph’s career at one point seemed pointed in a Hall-worthy direction, but his production slid precipitously and he was out of the game fairly early. I wish that hadn’t been the outcome, but it was.

If only Murph whined and complained aobut not getting into the HAll like Bret Blyleven, maybe he’d be in. Of course, that’s not Murph. I know it’s a long shot, but voters seem to be taking another look at him. Regardless, the last paragraph of the article is most telling about Murph.

“It is a powerful statement from a player who does not need a bronze plaque for validation. Murphy belongs to a class of contemporaries, like Don Mattingly and Fernando Valenzuela, who had a long-lasting effect despite a relatively short performance peak. His values are his legacy.”

They were also both Gold Glovers on defense. I know that Puckett played a more premium defensive position but the difference simply isn’t that great. Surely not enough for Puckett to be elected by acclimation (before people knew what a piece of shit he really was…not that the fact seems to be openly acknowledged today) while Donnie languishes on the ballot.

Pepe, I’m with you on Mattingly and Puckett. Donnie doesn’t even get the push for playing with the Yankees. Phil Rizzuto is in the HOF and Mattingly isn’t. Not sure how that works. Not that I’m pulling for more Yankees in the Hall.

Blyleven is the one that really burns me. I was young but I don’t remember any one saying “God, I hope we don’t face Blyleven.” He complains he’s not in for 12-14 years then the writers decide he’s right. Ridiculous.